Raymond Phoenix Cadoy An Awakening
by Eternal-Enigma1992
Summary: What began as a few page short story transformed into a 17 page story being told in a first person style about being kidnapped by the mafia for a crime that the main character didn't commit.


I feel my body starting to wake up. I don't know where I am, but I know that my head is killing me and my hands are tied together behind my back. I don't know what is going on but, whoever is around me shouldn't know I am awake. Not yet anyways. I can't move; I can't make any noises, and I can't make signs to show that I am awake. Because, if I do, then they will probably kill me. The guy outside the laundry mat tried to, so why would the others be any different?

Slowly I open my eyes and do like my instincts tell me. I open my eyes just enough to see what is going on, just enough to get a view of the scenery. I make it quick so nobody can notice that I am awake. Okay, so, there are four cement walls, a sink, a toilet, and two fluorescent lights.

There are two guys in the room too. One is a heavy guy, and the other one is a tall lanky guy. I sit and listen for their voices. Hopefully when they talk I will be able to associate their voices with their builds.

Something starts to drip on my head. I try not to move because it's probably only water. They are probably trying to make me move and I really don't want to do what they want me to do. I need to just sit here and take in whatever they do to me.

"Wake his ass up Johnson." That's a deep voice. Probably belongs to the fat man. I really want to open my eyes just to see them talking. I must be able to distinguish one from the other because I need to know everything that is going on.

"I cant. He's out cold." Mm, that's a higher pitched voice. It's a little nasally and scared. Probably the skinny one, he must be under the fat man's power. What the hell is going on? What did I do to be targeted like this?

"Sonuvabitch Johnson! You were supposed to keep him awake. What the hell did Leo do to him?" They think I'm still knocked out. That's good; I can use that to my advantage. I try to my thoughts and listen. Every word they say can either save me or kill me. I have to know my enemy, understand me enemy, and maybe I will be able to destroy them or get free.

"I honestly don't know Tony. When I got to the car, the poor bastard was knocked out cold. Leo really did a number on him. None of us want to be stuck with this guy alone when he's awake if we can avoid it. I mean, honestly, would you?" What the hell is he talking about?

"What ya mean Johnson?"

"Don't you know who we've got tied up here, Tony? This is one of those guys that have been trained by the new super soldier program. I don't want to fuck with this guy any more than I have too!" Super soldier program? What the hell is that? I'm just a fucking accountant!

"Wait a second Johnson. You telling' me that this is the crazy bastard that took out our last group that went after him, all by himself? No! No trucking' way Leo took him out by himself!" Took out his guys? What the hell is he talking about? I haven't had any kind of trouble ever since I left elementary school. Why would I be in a fight with some guys?

"I don't know Tony. All I know is that when I got there Leo was standing over this guy with a pipe all bent to hell, and this guys head was bleeding. I asked Leo what he did and he just looked at me like he'd just seen a ghost!" So, is Leo the short skinny guy that knocked me out? I don't remember anything that had happened besides a guy following me into the laundry mat, then waking up here. What happened between the laundry mat and Leo knocking me out? I have to let them know I'm awake.

"Ugh. HmmHmm? Wha? Who?"

"Tony! The guy's waking up! What should I do?" Why is he so scared of me? Those super soldiers must be really powerful.

"Settle down Johnson, he's tied down and there's no way that he could get out We're perfectly safe as long as we don't untie him."

"You sure boss? I really don't like being in here with this guy. It makes my skin crawl. Just think of what he did to Bobbi. This guy will kill us and not even think twice!"

"Shut up Johnson! Just shut the fuck up and see what you can get him to say, okay? I am not asking for too much am I?"

"No boss."

"Well then shut up and get him talking! I got the recorder set up already so when ever you're ready get the information from him." Tony walks over to one of the walls in the room with the faucet. A hide-away door opens and he leaves. I can't see a handle but maybe if I got closer I could find one.

"How's your head feeling? Leo really did a number on you there. Don't take it personally, well, yeah, take it personally but, business is business."

"Who is Leo and," I swallow, which is really hard because my throat is drier than sand paper, "what's going on?"

"Leo is the guy that knocked you out, then again, he probably hit you from behind so you couldn't kill him before he knocked you out. What do you mean 'what is going on'? You're the asshole that took out seven of my closest friends and didn't think even think about it." Johnson stood and walked over to the sink and washed his hands, which are covered in blood.

"Seven of your friends?" When did I hurt anybody besides financially? I just keep working on the numbers given to me. Figure out enough cryptograms and other puzzles and maybe someday I'll get a raise. I doubt it because our government is a bunch of tight asses but one can always wish. The only thing I'm slightly happy with is numbers and other mind games. I am not good at violence, it's too grotesque for my liking.

"Yeah you asshole. Seven!" Johnson gets real close to my face. Close enough where I can feel his spit landing on me. "You don't even think about killing them anymore do you? It was just another days work for you wasn't it?"

Johnson's shoulders are shaking, well, more like trembling. I struck a nerve, that's not good. He has hot anger. His anger will use him like a tool and he could lose all control pretty easily. I better be careful because I don't know this man. Wait, is that anger or grief? His eyes are so clouded with emotion that I can't tell. Are those tears of frustration or anger? I, for once in my life, have no idea what is about to happen.

"I never killed anyone in my life! I work on cheap security systems for banks!"

"Cheap security systems my ass!" Johnson's hand snakes out and slaps me across the face and, before I can make a sound, he hits me in the back of the head where the lead pipe had cracked open my skull and immediately the world goes black. When I wake up again, my head is throbbing and there's something pressed against the side of my chin.

"Wake up asshole! Can't have you passin' out on me every time I touch you."

"Give him time, Johnson You cracked him pretty good. Let him get his bearings back and for Christ's sake get the goddamn gun off his chin. I know it ain't loaded but still, I don't like it. Tony would be pissed if you shot the guy 'cuz he was knocked out and wasn't responding to every question you asked him." A different voice. Who is this guy? A gun pressed to my chin? Fuck my life. I can't deal with that, but the fact that it isn't loaded, that's okay.

"Shut the fuck up Leo! This guy didn't kill your father did he? This guy didn't kill your closest friends did he? No? No! I didn't fuckin' think so!" Leo, okay, that's the guy that knocked me out. He thinks I am the one that did that? I'd be willing to kill after that too. Now, hold on, take a second and assess the situation. I need to think on how I can use this to my advantage. I have to try and not let them know that I'm awake. I need to see how much more I can get from their ignorance.

"Look Johnson, I don't even know if this is the same guy. He didn't put up a struggle when I took him out. I might have gotten the wrong guy so slow down and think about it before you go hurting him!" That's good. He doesn't think I'm the right guy and he might get Johnson to realize I'm not.

"Leo, if this is the wrong guy I'll have your balls on a silver platter and serve them to you."

"Okay Johnson, but just remember what I just said to you, okay?"

"Yeah Leo, I heard you loud and clear and I can ignore you just as easily as I hear you. Now, do us both a favor and get the fuck outta here."

"Okay man, but just be careful 'cuz if you do something stupid Tony will not only get your balls on a silver platter but he'll get your soul laying right next to it." I hear the door shut and begin to moan to let him think that the noise is what woke me. Let him think he has the advantage and in his mind he will even though I have the advantage over him already.

"And the asshole finally wakes up huh?

"Why'd you do that?"

"Why did I hit you? 'Cuz you're lying to me you piece of shit!" The pain from the punch made me gasp and brought tears to my eyes. My gut starts to throb and I'm not sure if I can take this beating. My head is throbbing again and there are black shadows around my vision. I can't pass out, not again.

"I'm not lying. I didn't kill anyone!" Again I was hit in the stomach. The air rushed out of my lungs and tears began to come out of my eyes.

"If you didn't kill anyone then why does everyone think you were the one that killed my friends? Why does everyone place you there at the fight?"

"The fight? What fight? I haven't gotten in a fight since I was in middle school. I don't like fighting, I don't even watch movies about fighting!" This time the back of Johnson's hand slaps me. I feel the blood begin to trickle down the side of my face. I shake my head, hoping to clear my head from the fog that has settled in it. After I shake my head a couple of times Johnson punches me in the mouth and I can taste blood.

"What was that for? I didn't deserve that! I don't even deserve to be here!" I feel my eyes prickling with tears. "I got a job to go to. I can't go to work all bruised up without people asking questions."

"Well, then we're gonna have to avoid hitting that pretty face of yours won't we?" This time Johnson hits me in the ribs.

"Look man, I didn't do anything like that! If you have any type of lie detector get it and ask me your questions. I can't take this abuse anymore and I'm willing to do any test you have. Please. Please!" Before I finish saying please I feel sobs starting to shake my body.

I didn't even see Johnson's body move when again everything goes black. When I wake up I'm in a different room. The walls are padded, the door is actually visible, and there is one lamp over in the corner on a desk next to a big futuristic looking computer. There are electrodes attached to my chest and temples and some other types of sensors on my hands.

"Afternoon Senor. My name es Jose. My job is to make sure you no lie to me amigos here. I know me English is not so good but please bear with me. I try me best to help you, no?"

"Mhm. Okay. I can understand you well enough. What are you doing to me?"

"A basic lie test me amigo. It is not hard unless you make it hard. Just answer honestly and everything be okay. Now, we begin with quest-in."

"Okay, what is your first question and, where are you? I can't see you."

A shadow moves off in the right corner of the room and I move my head to see what is happening. A short guy with a dark complexion comes out of the shadows and walks into the light of the lamp.

"I am here Senor. Now, answer honestly, do you see me?"

"Yes." The machine started making a funny buzzing sound and started to push out paper. There was a scratching noise as one of the writing tools began to decipher what he said.

"Okay Senor, that is good of you. You tell me the truth and we have no problems, understand? No problems is good for us both."

"I understand you, Jose. Can we begin?"

"We already have me amigo." He laughs a little bit and it is a scary laugh. I don't know why it's scary, but it is.  
"How?"

"I just ask you control quest-in."

"Ah, I see."  
"Very good. What is your name?"  
"Raymond Phoenix Cadoy." Again, the machine starts to whiz and make noises. The scratching noise was loud, fast, and furious.

"Okay, Senor Raymond it is. May I ask quest-in?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really Senor Raymond."

"Okay, what is your question?"

"What does Phoenix mean?" I laugh a little because the question catches me off guard.

"It is from my mother. She believes strongly that life can always be connected with fantasy work. A phoenix is a bird that bursts into flames when it has done something wrong and a new takes its place from its ashes. Kind of like a second chance." Again the machines whiz and whir as it scratches out its reading.

"I see. Now, what do you do for job?"

"I am an accountant. I make sure that any company that comes to me is financially sound. I make sure that nobody is skimming money off the top, and that there is no illegal activity through them." Again with the whizzing noise but now it has become a little comforting. The noise of truth is better than the repercussions of a lie.

"An accountant. You live boring life if numbers make you happy Senor. Now, for the big quest-in of your life me amigo. Have you ever killed someone because they harm you?"

"No. I have never killed anyone. Under any circumstances." No sounds. No whizzing or whirring or scratching. Something isn't right, but then it begins. A lot of noise all at once.

"That's good Senor Raymond. You no lie to me. We have no problem. I can not say the same between Senor Johnson and you but I tell you now, there are no problem between you and me Senor Raymond. No problem at all. And, please don't take this personally but I must keep mi privacidad!"

Again everything goes black. When I awake again, I am back in the room with Johnson but I'm not tied up. Everything on my body hurts. Everything from my toes to the longest hair on the top of my head is aching. How much more abuse can I take? I'm not sure and I really don't want to find out.

"Afternoon beautiful. I'm starting to get use to you passing out on me. How's you're head feeling? Jose says you were very good for him. Didn't tell a single lie." Johnson grabs my cheek and pinches it. "That's good, 'cuz if you would have, he would've killed you and wouldn't have thought twice."

"Mmm. Sounds like Jose is a nice guy."

"If you're on his good side he's a great guy, if you're not. Well, then its not so good."

"I think that's the way most of you guys work."

"True, but I was wrong about you so you can easily be wrong about me."

"True, and, can I ask you a question?"  
"Yeah, what ya need to know?"

"Why am I still here? What did I do to you that you must keep me locked up like a caged animal? I want to go home, I want to go lay in my king sized bed and pass out. I want to go to the hospital and have my head looked at and, most of all, I just want to be away from this."

"Well, I can answer that easily enough. You're probably never going home again, and you're probably never going to get out of this room."

"What? I haven't done anything except get the shit beat out of me and you tell me I can't go home? What the fuck kind of deal is that?"

"The only way you're going to get out of here is if you kill me or give me a good enough reason to let you free. I want to see you cry and hurt as I have hurt for the loss of my friends."

"What? I had nothing to do with your friends and you're going to punish me for it anyways? What the hell is wrong with you, you, you, you asshole?"

"Nothing, I just want to see some justice. There's no way that I could find the guy that killed my friends now that I've wasted a whole day trying to break you, so you're going to pay for what happened."

"Please! Please let me go. I haven't done anything. I will do anything to get out of here. Anything, I promise. If you want money, I can get you money. If you want the killer there's nothing I can do to help but I can set up accounts for you that nobody could ever touch. I could make you richer than any other human being on this planet if you just let me go."

I begin formulating how I could convince Johnson to let me free. Maybe if I could get Johnson to accept the offer. Maybe money will help Johnson. Money helps everybody so, why wouldn't it help Johnson? "There are men that kill for money so please take this offer Johnson, please."

"True, but how can I trust you? There is no reason for me to trust what you have to say. How do I know you wouldn't just set me up?"

"If I let you down then you can kill me, but I won't. I promise you I won't. There isn't any reason for you to believe me, but I hope you will."

"Fine, you will do as I say and set up an account with triple the normal interest. There is no reason you can't do that and if anyone asks questions you say it's just business. Nothing more nothing less. You will hide who you are doing it for because the account will be under your name and I will have the debit that draws off that account. You will never be able to touch the money without me knowing. That is how this is going to work, okay?"

"Yes, fine, just let me go. Please." Tears come to my eyes as I realize what I am going to have to do. An account that I can't touch, but put my name on? If these people take more money than what is in there, I will have to pay for it. This is not good, not good at all, but if I want out alive then I will do it. To live is amazing and death isn't what I want.

"I am going to take your drivers license and I will be checking on you in three days. If you do not have the account set up or I find out that you are trying to run, I will kill you. I will blow your head off your shoulders and that will be the end of this."

"Yes, yes, I understand, three days." That's good. I can get it set up in three hours after being at the office. "Will you give me money to enter into the account?"  
"No, if you want to live you will use your own founding. You will get an account that will never run dry. Our money will be endless and you will live. Is that a deal you are willing to make?"

"Yes, if it means I can live, then I will make this deal." Again, everything goes black. The world is dark and there is nothing I can do about it. I wake up and I'm lying in my King sized bed. It is 12:32 P.M. and for some reason my head doesn't hurt so bad anymore. There is a note on my kitchen table that reads "SEE YOU IN THREE DAYS. IF YOU FAIL, YOU WILL DIE." Okay, three days isn't that long but it's plenty of time.

I go to work that day without a shower, even though I need one to get the blood out of my hair and off my clothes, but I don't care. I only have seven thousand dollars saved up. It's enough money to pay for my life for six months just in case I were to lose my job. I make the account as complex as I can. I make so many pass codes and filters that no one could ever crack it and order the debit card and have it mailed to my house. It will get here in twelve to thirty hours, plenty of time to make the three-day cut.

I transfer all of my funding into the account. I quadruple the annual percentage yield from 1.3% to 5.2%. This should make them happy. God, if this doesn't make them happy then I will die. Why did I try my luck at a game of no chances? They could kill me and it wouldn't matter because they have the account.

Somehow I have to ensure that I will live. I have to be absolutely sure that these people will not kill me so I do the only thing I can. I make the account so, if I die, it would lose all its monetary gain. It would become obsolete, nothing more than an aching memory.

I go to the hospital to find out that I have suffered a concussion and that I have no internal injuries. Just a lot of outer bruising and blood. After going to the hospital I go to my house and wash myself the best I can. Slowly, during my shower, a feeling of paranoia sets in. With no explanation, I am uneasy in my own house.

When I get out of the shower, I slowly walk into my room and dry myself off. As I dress myself I can't help but get that feeling of being watched. I start to become uneasy and jumpy. I walk from room to room of my house checking all the windows and doors to make sure they are locked.

As I make it to my kitchen I find Johnson sitting at my table, eating a banana and peanut butter sandwich. I don't say anything but just stand there amazed at seeing Johnson sitting there.

"So, did you get my account made?" Johnson says as he finishes the sandwich. I am too stunned to say anything; I just nod and leave the room to get the card. "Where do you think you're going Raymond?"

"You need the card and information for the account don't you?"

"Very good Raymond, very good indeed." When I reenter the room, I walk right into the sights of Johnson's revolver. "You did well Raymond. I thought you were going to run, but you did just like you said you would. I'm proud of you, I just want you to know that before I shoot you. Any last words Raymond? Any family you want to send a message to?"

"I wouldn't kill me if I were you."

Johnson chuckles as he looks at me, "And why shouldn't I kill you Raymond?"

"Simple. If you kill me, the account closes and everything in it is lost. If I ever die, the account will close so, if I were you, I'd make sure I don't die." Johnson's face goes from a pale white shade to a beet red shade of anger.

"You fucker!" Johnson takes a couple of breaths and his color returns to normal. "Very good, you found a way to make sure you live. I didn't think you would have had the brains to insure your own safety. That's very clever of you Raymond. I must admit that."

"Thank you, and, if you don't mind, please stop pointing that gun at my face"

"Very well. May I have the information now?"

"Sure, here, take the damnable things. I don't want to hold onto it anymore, it's becoming more of a nuisance than anything else."

Johnson takes the paperwork and debit card from me and begins to walk to the door. As he opens it, he turns back and looks at me again "How much money did you put into the account? Be honest with me for I will find out if you're lying and, even though I can't kill you, I can harm you and injure you bad enough that you would wish you were dead."

"Seven thousand. It's all I had. I don't have enough money to pay for this month's bills but it's keeping me alive so it's worth it."

Johnson doesn't say anything in response; he just turns and walks out the door, closing it gently behind him. I sigh and lean against my refrigerator trying not to faint. It is done, and I am still alive. I'm broke, but alive.

Several weeks have gone by and I can't help but feel happy. I have gotten a raise at work, I have a fairly good relationship with one of my co-workers, and I've hardly thought of the time that I was kidnapped… until this afternoon. I've come home to find a manila envelope sitting on my table. It has "Raymond" written on it in big bold letters, and it looks like it was written with a Sharpie. The writing matches the note I found when I was returned to my house weeks ago.

Slowly I open the package, unsure of what it is. When I open it all the way, I pour the contents on the table. Three bundles of bills come out, along with a short letter. The letter reads:

"Congratulations Mr. Raymond Phoenix Cadoy. You have served me very well and, for that, I have decided that you have earned the cash inside this envelope. There are seventy one-hundred-dollar bills. This is equivalent to the money that you had given me. Also, Leo wants me to apologize for the wound on your head. He is deeply sorry for injuring you so severely when you were the wrong person to harm.

Yours truly,

Marcus Lee Johnson"

I set the letter down and exhale a seemingly never-ending breath. I hadn't realized that I had held my breath ever since I opened the envelope. My thoughts are completely engulfed by what I have just read. I pick up one of the bundles of bills and count how many are inside it. There are twenty-five in the first and second bundles, the third bundle has twenty.

Everything is better than I thought it was going to be. I have the money that I had given to Johnson, a letter of apologies, and that's all I need. I am happier than I ever remember being. Everything is going well for the first time in my life and theres nothing that can bring me down from this euphoria.


End file.
